Sabres Score Five In First To Hammer Flyers * The Loss Allows The Devils, Who Beat The Capitals, To Tie For First.

March 16, 1997|by MONICA DEEB, The Morning Call

Philadelphia Flyers general manager Bob Clarke has been wanting to bolster his team's defense for a while. With Tuesday's trade deadline looming and the playoffs just a month away, Clarke better make a move in a hurry.

Clarke and 19,633 fans watched the Flyers give up five first-period goals in Saturday's 7-5 loss to Buffalo at the CoreStates Center. The Sabres scored on five of their first eight shots en route to their 36th win of the season.

The Flyers (39-21-10) outplayed the Sabres over the final two periods -- outshooting them 30-9 -- but it wasn't enough to prevent their fourth loss in their last six games.

"We weren't ready to play hockey today; that's all there is to it," Philadelphia head coach Terry Murray said.

The defeat was the Flyers' second to Buffalo in five days. And since New Jersey won again Saturday, the Flyers and the Devils are tied for the Atlantic Division lead. Buffalo remains atop the Northeast Division and trails New Jersey and Philly by five points in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Sabres got goals from six different players, including Michael Peca. He scored the game-winner when the teams met last Tuesday.

The seven goals scored by Buffalo were the most against the Flyers in a game this season. Philadelphia also hadn't surrendered five goals in a period this year before Saturday.

"We know we're not playing well," said Flyers captain Eric Lindros, who was held to a lone assist. "We have a very good team here, and when we play the way we can play we're among the best. When we don't play to that standard, like today, this can happen."

The Flyers were so upset following the game that they held a closed-door, players-only meeting. They had one back on Nov. 27 after a loss to the New York Islanders and then proceeded to go unbeaten in their next 17 games.

"We addressed a lot of things after the game," Lindros said. "I'm not in a real good mood right now."

Murray and the players denied that trade rumors are negatively affecting the team. Talk has centered around goalies Kirk McLean (Vancouver) and Felix Potvin (Toronto) and Edmonton defensemen Luke Richardson and Bryan Marchment and Jamie Macoun of Toronto.

"Clarke makes those decisions, and he doesn't talk to me about them," Lindros said. "I don't have any part of it. I feel good about our chances without making any deals."

Buffalo (36-21-11) got on the board just 2 minutes, 19 seconds into the game as former Flyer Garry Galley beat goalie Ron Hextall. Galley's low shot from the point didn't have much on it, but Hextall apparently never saw it.

The Sabres increased their lead to 2-0 less than three minutes later as Brian Holzinger, in the middle of a 3-on-2, beat Hextall to the short side.

After a timeout by the Flyers, they seemed to regroup. They pressured Buffalo goalie Steve Shields (39 saves) as Daniel Lacroix, Dainius Zubrus and Joel Otto all had excellent scoring chances. Zubrus actually hit the post on a rebound.

Finally, Mikael Renberg, who seems to have broken out of hisseason-long slump, got one by Shields at the 8:19 mark of the first period. It was Renberg's 18th goal, and John LeClair and Paul Coffey picked up assists.

Soon after, however, the Flyers' defense broke down again. After Hextall made one of his few saves, the Sabres scored off the ensuing faceoff.

Peca won the faceoff, teammate Jason Dawe controlled the puck and fed Bob Boughner, who knocked it by a sprawling Hextall.